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1:32 Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer conversion


Iain

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24 minutes ago, titan said:

I've actually been seriously looking into 3D printed Privateer conversion. I started in on some of the designs decided to wait until the Hobbyboss kit was released so that I could tailor it to the actual kit,  rather than publish dimensions. For example, when designing the 7-foot nose extension I could use the actual fuselage cross-section but that doesn't mean that it would fit what hobbyboss produces. Other parts, like the horizontal stabs I've actually been able to make some good progress on.  I'll see if I can post some progress this weekend. 

 

If you get to the stage of making multiples, I'll be first in line to buy one!

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3 hours ago, Jennings Heilig said:

We have a beautifully restored PB4Y-2 at Pima.  At some point I'll go down and shoot a walk around series on it for you.  The only external thing that's not stock is the single piece windscreen, leftover from her days as a fire bomber.  

Hi Jennings and good luck to Iain with your conversion. Heck I would like to see a further conversion to the Model 39 / XR2Y! The 4x2 that now resides at Pima is former tanker C30 buno 59819. I was lucky enough to work on that plane when she arrived at Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston back in the 90s. Thanks to years of research by Nick Veronico co-author of your Ginter book we were able to learn much about the unique blister turrets and many other items thanks to Nick allowing us to copy these materials. I still have all of this info and can scan the dimensions station numbers etc if you would like? Please pm me and we can discuss further. I will not be able to work on till after next weekend as I will be busy with the Spirit of St. Louis airshow.  

 

Cheers

Dan

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There certainly was - vac and resin.

 

Like the Cutting Edge resin conversion there are photos out there on the web.

 

If either set were readily available/reasonable cost I'd be looking at getting copies for reference purposes - but pricey now if you can find them...

 

Iain

 

 

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Yeah... god I remember how bad I wanted that CE conversion but at the time that was just way too much money for me (obvs. now just a fraction of what it sells for now)

 

I was jesting on you making a convo kit from your efforts here but hey maybe somebody could be convinced to do one? (Fisher? HPH?)

 

 

Edited by petrov27
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3 hours ago, Dan OHara said:

Hi Jennings and good luck to Iain with your conversion. Heck I would like to see a further conversion to the Model 39 / XR2Y! The 4x2 that now resides at Pima is former tanker C30 buno 59819. I was lucky enough to work on that plane when she arrived at Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston back in the 90s. Thanks to years of research by Nick Veronico co-author of your Ginter book we were able to learn much about the unique blister turrets and many other items thanks to Nick allowing us to copy these materials. I still have all of this info and can scan the dimensions station numbers etc if you would like? Please pm me and we can discuss further. I will not be able to work on till after next weekend as I will be busy with the Spirit of St. Louis airshow.  

 

Cheers

Dan

 

Hey, Dan, I looked for you at the show here in September, but no joy. I guess you were out doing some other stuff. Some nice kits were represented this year too.

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I want to build one Iain, currently working on a HK B-17 into a fire bomber and want to do the same for a Privateer. Would be amazing having both on the Fire Bomber table at SMW. 

 

I also have a built Koster vac converted B-24 that I shall be finishing as a fire bomber, maybe the drawings from that might help also..? 

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Hi Radders,

 

Up for making this a Privateer sub-group of the Multi-Engine Group Build?

 

Would be great to have someone else to work with on parallel projects?

 

*Really* want to do this...

 

Yes - Bill Koster's stuff has always been pretty good - imagine any drawings could be quite useful!

 

Iain

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Here's an example of what I've got, plus the complication of trying to design something to fit a kit that isn't out yet. 

This is a 2D model of the horizontal stab.  The big thing I need before I can proceed is a look at the airfoil cross-section as molded on the Hobbyboss kit.  With that I can very quickly create the 3D shape and then add the surface details that I've already mapped. 

The alternative is to create the full model now and hope that it sort-of fits the new kit.  I've got some very good B-24 plans as well as the Ginter Privateer book so I'm reasonably confident that I could create a decently accurate part model based on actual B-24/PB4Y shapes.  The great uncertainty then would be, will it fit the Hobbyboss kit given that their models don't always match the actual shapes?   This is particularly concerning when trying to model the 7' fuselage extension plug as it will need to match the Hobbyboss fuselage cross-section, rather than the actual 1:1 shape, nearly exactly.  

bH6pQs.jpg

For now though, I can still model many of the shapes at least in 2D and some more independent parts, like the rudder or turrets, in full 3D.

 

 

 

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That's a brilliant start Titan - agreed re. HobbyBoss shapes - won't know until we get our hands on the kit itself...

 

What software package are you using?

 

Iain

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5 hours ago, Iain (32SIG) said:

That's a brilliant start Titan - agreed re. HobbyBoss shapes - won't know until we get our hands on the kit itself...

 

What software package are you using?

 

Iain

 

Just sketchup with a bunch of plugins like curviloft and some of the spline tools.  Sketchup by itself is pretty limited with the plugins it becomes significantly more capable.  I'd rather use a more powerful package like Rhino but I don't have a spare $1,000 for that.

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22 hours ago, Iain (32SIG) said:

Hi Radders,

 

Up for making this a Privateer sub-group of the Multi-Engine Group Build?

 

Would be great to have someone else to work with on parallel projects?

 

*Really* want to do this...

 

Yes - Bill Koster's stuff has always been pretty good - imagine any drawings could be quite useful!

 

Iain

 

Would be more than happy to share ideas but I can't see me joining the GB as I can't commit fully at the moment, work has gone mentally busy and as it's our own business all my times goes into that... plus having the B-17 on the bench really takes up a lot of room.

 

I'm hoping that enlarging a Matchbox kit, and the Koster stuff I have is going to be my way forward with this..... unless Titan below brings out a conversion... 

 

6 hours ago, titan said:

 

Just sketchup with a bunch of plugins like curviloft and some of the spline tools.  Sketchup by itself is pretty limited with the plugins it becomes significantly more capable.  I'd rather use a more powerful package like Rhino but I don't have a spare $1,000 for that.

 

 

Sell this as a conversion and you'll have that $1000 in no time... :) 

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